


My Son

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [38]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Origin Story, Demons suck, F/M, Mind Control, Non-Consensual Child Making, So does Aizen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-13 01:40:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3363047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6





	1. Chapter 1

The slight, bone covered figure weaved as though she was drunk.

She wasn't of course. Vasto Lorde class menos or not, she hardly knew the meaning of alcohol, let alone drunkenness. And that wasn't what was wrong with her. Her problem was something far more profound and deadly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that. She knew she was very sick _(dying)_ but that seemed almost unimportant. What mattered was the burning need to mate.

She had already tried to secure a mate in Hueco Mundo and been rebuffed. No, worse than that. The male had attacked her with lightning and called her something _(tainted)_ before driving her off and then attempting to hunt her. He had pursued her mercilessly and she had finally fled through a garganta. That had been enough to deter him. No powerful hollow willingly abandoned the shade of their home.

She was deeply uncomfortable with it as well, but that didn't matter. She had to find a male to breed with. If she went back to the mountains of the vasto lorde, that male might detect her again and attempt to destroy her, this time successfully. Instead, she vaguely intended to mate a shinigami. It was a strange thought but the desire inside her didn't care. But the one she mated had to be strong enough to seed her. She was too strong for most and the strange urge inside her wanted the best…

She came across many shinigami but they died easily, their souls absorbed as she tried desperately to find one worthy of mating. None of these would do. They were weak and slow, not enough, never enough.

Then she engaged a female and almost whimpered. The female was just barely strong enough but she was _female._ With another vasto lorde that might not have been an impediment but it wouldn't work for a shinigami. She needed a male! She was about to kill the woman when another foe attacked.

He went at her mercilessly, power behind his blows and the urge within her sang. _This one!_ Yes. He was more than powerful enough to be an excellent sire to her pup. Why she so urgently wanted a pup was a mystery but he would satisfy the need inside her.

For that, though, she had to make him compliant. Her joints hissed before a foul, nearly black cloud burst out. The man reeled as it hit him, his eyes going wide as he registered the potent poison in the air. It was also an aphrodisiac… in fact, that was its primary purpose. The fact that it was almost lethal was incidental as long as the male lived long enough. The vasto lorde with the lightning powers had blasted it away from him with air and this man tried, summoning a cyclone, but it was already too late. She'd hit him well and truly.

Although the poison puzzled her. She had never been poisonous before… something… had happened to her. She was a wolf type hollow and all her native powers came from that. Toxins were not her nature. But she didn't question it, pouncing on the man and shredding his clothing with surprising delicacy. The female shinigami she'd been fighting earlier wasn't dead yet, not quite, but she was unconscious. That was good enough. They would not be interrupted.

"What are you… doing…? Get off!" The shinigami panted, his skin shiny with sweat as he tried to resist the poison. She ignored his protests, her long grey braid sliding over his chest as she went down to his member. It was half-hard, not enough. She fixed that with her lips, enfolding that cock and giving him what any male would crave. "No… stop…"

_I can't._ Her mouth was busy but the thought rang in the back of her mind. She didn't really want to be doing this. Why would she want a pup from a shinigami? But she was being compelled to do it and she didn't know why… feeling dazed and even sicker than before, she moved up his body. He was ready for her, now.

She sank onto his cock with a small whine, her ears flicking and her tail curling down. It hurt a bit and she didn't really like it, but the need that had brought her here urged her onwards. Raising her hips, she began to move, rolling up and down with more whines. The shinigami groaned and gripped her hips, his grip weak and trembling. He was very sick and might die soon. She needed to make this quick.

Thankfully, that was not difficult. The dazed and ill man beneath her had nothing to hold him back. Perhaps five minutes later, his body trembled and stiffened, semen and reiatsu filling her insides. With that task done she quickly disengaged from him and staggered away to form a garganta, far, far away from the male with the lightning.

She wasn't sure why she was doing this in the first place but she needed to have her pup in Hueco Mundo. That was the only place that would be safe.

* * *

For the next nine months, the female hollow was gradually eaten away from within.

The pup growing in her womb didn't mean to do it. The infection that she had somehow taken in had gone to him, leaving his mother's mind relatively clear. So she understood what was happening and cursed the fate that had led her to this. More than that, she forgave her pup for what he was doing and mourned his future.

"I'm sorry puppy. I'm sorry." She whispered to the growing spark in her distended abdomen. She could sense it was only one pup. There had been more but the corruption inside her had chosen the strongest, then eaten the others. Horrifying and she had felt it happen but there had been nothing she could do. "So sorry." Oddly enough, her pup did not feel like a monster to her. No, he felt adorable and sweet when their minds touched, his awareness finding hers with questing and curious hands. That only made her mourning more intense. It was painful that her only offspring would be cursed like this.

She could easily see that his future would be one of loneliness. She was very strong and he was devouring her as an infant. It would only grow worse as he aged and gained power. The alien hunger, the power that was not hollow but something _else,_ would always isolate him. If he had been a monster that might not have mattered much. But the touch of his mind said he was not and she sorrowed for him.

Eventually, the birth came. Only it was not a normal birth. The hollow screamed as the child within her devoured the last of her energy, breaking her soul collection apart. She felt his fear and bewilderment, his profound loss as he realized she was leaving him. He was so young to comprehend death but he could feel it, sense what was happening to her.

Her body vanished and only the child remained. He wiggled on the sand, incapable of movement. If he had been shinigami or even a true natural born hollow, he would certainly have died. But he was not. Eventually, an adjuchas found him, bent over the helpless body to sniff… and howled in agony as it was devoured, sucked into the tiny body in the sands. Looking at the vanishing adjuchas, the baby began to cry.

He was already beginning to suffer, just as his mother had foreseen.

* * *

If that had been all, the child would likely have gone mad.

But something deep inside him responded to his isolation. He soon began to crawl, then walk. Over and over he approached others, just to watch them wither and die at his presence. One day, it was all too much. The little boy crawled into a cave and bawled his little heart out, wishing he would be the one to die. And that day, something came to him.

"Hi there." The little boy looked up with wide eyes to see someone bending over him. "Who're you?" A hand reached out for him but he cringed back, afraid that if he dared touch this person she would vanish into dust like all the others. "Aw, don't worry. I'm part of your soul. I'll be fine." He just stared at her uncomprehendingly. Her eyes were pink and her hair was green. She wore a leather eye patch over one eye. "…Can you understand me?" The words were just noise to the young boy. "You can't talk, can you." She seemed frustrated and he whined, moving closer. "Of course you can't. No one to teach you. Aw… damn, you're cute." Hands suddenly scooped him up, arms that were thin yet surprisingly strong going around him. The little boy squeaked before settling against her. "I'll teach you. I'm going to be the best big sister ever! I'm Lilinette, by the way." She said to him but he just looked at her adoringly, grey eyes filled with trust. "Now you really need some clothes. Naked kids are cute but not right…" She carried him away and he clung to her, filled with happiness.

At last, he was not alone.

* * *

And so Starrk was raised by his own zanpakuto spirit.

That was what Lilinette was to him, but he wouldn't understand it until much later. The two children played in the sand dunes of Hueco Mundo, free and uncaring. Anyone who approached them died, even vasto lorde, but they paid it no mind. They had each other and that was enough. It was Lilinette who named him Coyote Starrk. A true role reversal, a zanpakuto naming her wielder. But Starrk needed a name, for her to yell at him.

As Starrk grew up, though, he became lonely again. Lilinette was wonderful but she was part of his soul. And the way others died when they approached was so saddening. Would no one ever be able to survive the black hole that existed in the heart of his soul?

Then someone did, although it was a near thing.

"Interesting." They both turned to look at the stranger. He looked mildly pained. "Being around you is uncomfortable." He said and the young man and his zanpakuto exchanged a glance.

"You're doing really good if it's just uncomfortable!" Lilinette said boldly as Starrk fixed his gaze on the sands. He had no hope that this stranger would want much to do with them. It was marvelous that he could come close but what good was it? He wouldn't want to remain with the two outcasts – "OI! STARRK!" He yelped as a fist suddenly impacted his head. "Say hello! Use your words!"

"Lilinette!" That was mortifying and he blushed before looking at the stranger. "H-Hello." He said timidly and the man smiled. Starrk stared at him, suddenly enchanted. It was the first smile he'd seen aside from Lilinette's.

"I am Aizen Sosuke. You are?" He asked and Starrk blinked before speaking.

"I am Coyote Starrk. This is my zanpakuto, Lilinette Gingerbuck." He said, introducing her as she had told him. He saw the man's eyes widen, just a fraction.

"A zanpakuto?" He asked and they both nodded. "And yet, you are not a shinigami. What are you?"

"He's a hybrid." Lilinette said gruffly. She'd had a long, long time to evaluate he partner and she knew exactly what was wrong with him. "A shinigami boned a hollow. No idea how or why." Starrk looked away, mildly pained at the bluntness. "But I bet the demon had something to do with it. He's got a demonic soul fragment lodged in him. It's why he's a fucking nightmare."

"Lilinette…" Starrk said quietly and she just looked at him for a moment before snuggling up against him. "I… am of no use to you." He said drearily. Somehow, he was sure this man wanted to make use of him. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did. "The void inside me kills everything." It was a miracle that Aizen was still alive. He just looked at them for a long moment before nodding thoughtfully.

"Will you be remaining here?" He asked and they exchanged a bewildered glance before Starrk nodded. "I will see what I can do to restrain your power. If you will agree to serve me?" He asked and Starrk didn't hesitate for a moment.

"If you can make it safe for others to exist around me, I will follow you anywhere." Starrk promised and Lilinette nodded. Nothing else mattered. Aizen smiled at them again, looking genuinely pleased.

"I will be back." He promised and they both watched him go. Starrk tried not to have too much hope.

He didn't want it to be crushed.

* * *

As it turned out, though, Aizen had not given them false hope.

It took many visits and a lot of work, but finally he managed to tame Starrk's wildly destructive reiatsu. It involved daily treatments to subdue him with the hogyoku, but it worked. That let the natural arrancar come with him to Los Noches.

The fortress of the Espada was not a disappointment. Starrk was awed at the white walls, the sheer size of the place. And he would be given an entire wing to himself? Oddly enough, he didn't much want that. That would feel isolating and he desired to be around others more than anything in the world.

Alas, almost all of the arrancar of Los Noches were afraid of him. Starrk didn't really hold it against them. Aizen hadn't spelled out how he'd found the Espada. If he had, they wouldn't have been afraid… they'd have been terrified. Many of them masked their fear with hostility, like the blue haired one. That one had tried to attack the new Primera but Starrk had simply looked at him and unleashed a small taste of the void. That had made him retreat, hissing curses and empty threats.

The only 'friend' he had among the arrancar was, oddly enough, the former Primera and current Segunda. Starrk had no illusions about that. He knew Barragan wanted to use him, was plotting against Aizen. But Barragan didn't understand what Aizen was to him…

"Starrk." The voice rang through his head and he winced. "Come to see me, immediately." Starrk quickly abandoned his place in the sands to head for the throne room. He did not want to keep Aizen waiting.

In his brief time in Los Noches, he'd developed a healthy dread for their ultimate leader. The stone he used to control Starrk's aura with was strange, and not in a good way. To him it felt extremely wrong, as if uncountable souls were writhing in torment within its depths. Lilinette also didn't like Aizen much, although she thought he was definitely an improvement over staring at sand and corpses.

"Oi, Starrk!" Speaking of which… Starrk smiled as his diminutive zanpakuto landed on his back, easily hitching a ride. "Our master wants us?" She'd heard the summons too, of course. As part of his soul she needed to be present for Aizen's work.

"Apparently so." He said easily as they reached the throne room. He entered and immediately bowed, showing proper shinigami courtesy. "Aizen-sama." He said respectfully.

"Ah, Starrk. You do learn quickly." Aizen sounded amused. That was worrisome, he had a very strange sense of humor. "Please, return Lilinette to within you. I wish to try something new." Starrk swallowed but did as he was told, demanifesting his zanpakuto. He could hear her muttering inside but paid very little attention as the power of the hogyoku flared.

What happened next was both indescribably painful and horrifying beyond belief. Starrk gasped and gripped his chest, his eyes going wide as an alien _something_ surged forward eagerly, grasping and hungry. This was the exact opposite of repressing the dreadful power within him… Aizen was calling it forth. Starrk fell to his knees, his head flung back as the power within him roused to an inferno. With a shattering pain, he lost his grip on his body and fell within. He could hear Lilinette screaming but she was as helpless as he was, consigned to the back of their mind as their body straightened.

" _Interesting."_ Starrk felt himself roll his shoulders, flex his hands. His voice was deeper, with a peculiar smoothness underlaid by a harsh, grating note. It was not a hollow or shinigami voice. _"Thank you for releasing me from my imprisonment. Or have you?"_ The question was laced with a dark amusement. Aizen smiled at the being in his body.

"No, I have not, as you well know. Tell me. Who are you?" He asked and the demon within laughed.

" _I? I am nothing but a fragment of the whole. You know that, binder."_ There was a taunting note to the voice and Starrk couldn't even feel himself move. His hand was lightly resting on Aizen's chest, their faces so close they could almost kiss. Aizen seemed completely unaffected by the menacing movement. _"You are daring to bring me forth this way. If you falter for even the slightest moment, I will tear out your heart."_

"I would expect nothing less." Aizen said calmly before smiling. "Return to your place." The hogyoku flared again and Starrk experienced that wrenching, shattering pain, but this time in reverse. He felt the demon struggle violently, then be subdued by the power of the hogyoku, returned to a subservient position in his soul. And he collapsed again, right in front of Aizen this time.

"I… you did… how did…" Starrk shuddered in both reaction and betrayal. Aizen had promised to make him _weaker,_ hide away that horrific part of his soul. Not make it _stronger._ Aizen understood his incoherent protest.

"Ah, Starrk." A hand went through his hair as he groaned, feeling that horrible, lingering pain inside. "I promised to restrain your power and I will… but the power within you will be our secret weapon. Fight well and I will never have to use it. Fail me and we will see what that part of you can do." He sounded very pleased. Starrk swallowed convulsively as Lilinette hissed in rage.

"Damn you…" He growled out, looking up with burning anger in his eyes. Aizen just met his gaze, not in the least bit phased by his hate. "Then I won't lose." This gave him a great incentive. He never, ever wanted that portion of himself to be free.

"Excellent." Aizen said and Starrk knew how to take a dismissal. He pulled himself to his feet before bowing again, very abridged. Then he left, anger still churning in his heart.

He hated Aizen for this threat, but now he was determined. He would do his best in the final battle.

* * *

That resolution was tested by the realities of what fighting meant.

Starrk found, as he fought the two shinigami, that he simply couldn't bring himself to kill. His whole life he had done nothing but kill, but never with his hands and will. The thought of deliberately taking a life nauseated him. He fought with strength and skill, but not with the intent to make them die.

Still, it seemed like he'd managed well enough. Both his opponents were down and the two strangers with the hollow masks were badly wounded. He would put them down and force them to stay down. Starrk came in for a landing on the rooftop –

The blow from behind was a complete surprise. Starrk's eyes went wide as he saw the blade impaling him, felt the damage he'd just taken. Pain gripped him as he looked over his shoulder.

"What… is this…?" He rasped out and saw the shinigami smile as he began to explain. But he didn't hear the words. The sound of the man's voice seemed to echo in his head, vague and incomprehensible. Feeling like his head was on a string, he turned to look at Aizen. His lord and master was looking at him. "No… I can… do… it…" His tongue felt big and clumsy. Then he whimpered, bending over as he felt the dark force rousing again. "No!"

The shinigami behind him had no idea what was happening. He just saw his opponent bending over and gasping, looking like he was in pain. So he struck, with full force and intent to kill. Grey eyes went wide as a hand caught his long blade, holding it away effortlessly.

" _Heh."_ The arrancar lifted his head and Shunsui saw something that chilled his heart. Instead of an empty socket, Starrk's hollow hole was filled with a ball of blue and black light. It gave the illusion that the Espada had two eyes. _"You shouldn't have done that, shinigami."_ The alien tone to the voice… Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he felt like he was speaking to someone else. Then black power flared around his sword and Shunsui was blasted away by a power like nothing he'd fought before.

Starrk himself was helpless in his own body as one of the Visored attacked. The one with the long, whip like weapon. Instead of evading, though, he simply caught it with his free hand. It was an incredible display of raw power and not something he could have done before.

" _Way of Suffering 16: Vibration."_ He said almost casually and a wicked hum filled the air. The vibration traveled back along the man's zanpakuto and he was caught in it, screaming for a moment before he was blasted away.

"Rose!" The second Visored attacked. Starrk dodged gracefully before getting directly into the man's face. He felt a wicked grin cross his face as he spoke again.

" _Way of Damnation 3: Stab."_ His hand was sharp as a knife as he slashed through the man. Only sadism kept him alive… the demon wanted to savor his pain, not end his life quickly. Blood flew and Starrk heard himself laugh as the man fell. Then Lilinette spoke. She was in her holsters, watching this in horror.

"STARRK! You've got to fight him! Don't let him do that!" She urged and the thing in his body pulled out his guns, regarding them thoughtfully. "Come on, you can do it! I know you can!"

" _Oh please."_ He tossed away the guns without a care before allowing his power to assume a corporeal form… a great wing of black and blue, trailing behind his right arm. _"Taichou-san, taichou-san, I know you're still alive. Come out to play."_ He sang before laughing as a cyclone of air was cast at him. _"Ah, there you are!"_

The rest of that battle was brutally one-sided. He was simply too powerful for the shinigami facing him. But he toyed with the man, using that wing of force to catch his blows and slashing at him with it, raising fine lines of blood. He used more and more of those kido's that weren't and Starrk's heart screamed in pain as he heard the word 'suffering' over and over again. He knew those spells were designed to be torturously painful. The shinigami man fought with a grim determination, realizing he was outmatched but still trying.

Finally, though, the demon tired of the game. He cast a spell of damnation followed by a brutally fast slash, knocking the man out of the sky. Blood flew and Starrk prayed he was going to survive, but he thought it was unlikely. That was meant to be a fatal blow…

"Shunsui!" The terrible old man had spotted what was going on. He'd been busy with Aizen but now he was suddenly moved to try to rescue his subordinate. Aizen just watched, interested in the outcome. Starrk felt his body move, heard his laugh as he angled to meet the new opponent.

" _At last! A challenge!"_ Fires flared around him but he met them with black and blue power, horrifically strong and achingly cold. Starrk could only watch in fear. Could even the old man defeat the horror that lay within his soul?

"What are you?" The old man rumbled as he fought with power and skill. The demon laughed and gave him more of an answer than it had to Aizen… but then, Aizen had already known the truth.

" _I am a fragment of the whole, a tiny piece that I eased through your accursed binding! I will reunite with my whole and shatter your wards, freeing myself from my prison!"_ Sparks flew as that wing of power clashed with the shinigami's blade. _"Yet even in this small container, I am still the mother of all demons!"_ That boasting taunt told the old man all he needed to know about the horror he was facing.

"Bankai." The spiritual power that followed was choking. Starrk was sure he was going to die, now. But the demon did not seem in the least bit intimidated.

" _You're endangering the fabric of reality, you know. Not that I give a flaming shit."_ It said cheerfully as more and more dark power flared around it. Then… _"Have you ever wondered how the three worlds will end, shinigami?"_ The power of the bankai clashed against the power of the demon and, to Starrk's shock and horror, it still wasn't clear who was winning. _"It will end in glorious light. Allow me to show you."_

" _Cauldron of devastation, boiling and churning with power untold."_ The demon intoned, casting a spell far more potent than it had used before this. Power began building, pure white and surging rapidly. _"Melting and scorching, heat beyond any other. Return all things to their true form… a thimbleful of seething force."_ The light was condensing, forming a tiny spark. And a whirlwind was building around it as a dreadful suction began to fill the air. Every combatant turned to look, feeling the terrible force of it in their very souls. _"Way of Damnation 99: Chaotic Void."_ The spark glowed beautifully as Starrk spread his arms. And it began to take in everything. Buildings shattered, turning into pure reishi and flowing in rivers of sparks towards the ball of power. And not just that… the shinigami had to save their unconscious friends, keeping them from being pulled into the void. Halibel saw her fraccion in danger and went to save them, abandoning her battle with Toshiro. Yamamoto had to struggle against the pull, so close. He tried to strike at the demon but could not. The sheer force of the spell was shielding him from any harm.

Down below, though, something interesting was happening.

"Oi, wake up! Wake up you dumb bastard!" Shunsui blinked, the world coming into focus. He really didn't want it to. He was in serious pain… "WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!" That voice drilled into his ears and he winced, looking at the girl beside him. She was very familiar. "I've healed you as much as I can. You gotta stop him!"

"I, what?" He looked up and winced, unable to look at the spark of pure light. It was like looking into the sun. "What is that?" Whatever it was, it was giving Yama-jii a hard time. And he was expected to help? He could hardly move. The little girl zanpakuto huffed at him before grabbing his arm and giving him a yank.

"That's Starrk going all demon! And you're the only one who can stop it! I knew it was you, I could smell it in your blood!" She said and he stared at her blankly as he let her help him to his feet. "You boned the hollow! You're his DAD! That's your SON up there!"

"I, wait, what?!" His eyes went wide as his mind flashed back to that horrible incident. It had been both bizarre and terrible but he'd never imagined… "Hollows and shinigami can breed?!" Could that be true? Was that his child, in the sky? It would explain the zanpakuto… she groaned.

"Who knows? But they can when the hollow is infected with a demonic soul fragment! And that got passed on to Starrk. You want to know what's awful? That fragment ate her up when he was in the womb and he can _remember._ " She said and Shunsui swallowed. "But screw that! Here's what you need to do…" He listened as she gave him his instructions. Although how was he supposed to get close enough with that power in the sky?

Then the Soutaichou did something unexpected. He summoned all his power, binding it to his sword and attacked, not the demon, but the spell that was devouring everything. The suction was meant to draw in so there was no resistance as his sword went cleanly through that ball of light. The power that flared then was insane, beyond anything anyone in the battlefield had ever felt. The spell abruptly shattered in beautiful sparks. And there was a small _tink_ sound as the bankai broke. Complete silence descended over the battlefield. Even the demon was surprised.

"… _You broke my spell by overloading it."_ It said after a moment, tone almost wondering. _"Color me impressed. But you broke your sword to do it."_ Starrk could feel his eyes half-lidding, a nasty, nasty smile crossing his face. _"How sad for you – eh?"_ The demon's attention was attracted as the man it had thought was dead returned to the battlefield. He looked battered and bedamned, his body liberally sprinkled with dried blood. He was still wearing his haori but it was a tattered mess. And he also had Lilinette in her gun form, which made Starrk wonder what she thought she was doing. _"I thought you were dead. You know, I can fix that."_ The demon said but the shinigami wasn't listening.

"Starrk, I'm sorry!" He called, his grey eyes full of emotion. Starrk could feel the demon's puzzlement and felt much the same way. "I'm sorry your life was like this, but I'm here for you now! I am your father!" Starrk actually regained a bit of control in that moment, his eyes widening with shock. Then he felt the demon snarl and shove him back. "I want to be your father!" The anguish in his eyes, the intensity in his voice… Starrk was spellbound. He'd always dreamed of the shinigami who had made him, dreamed of having a father… and now that he knew, he could see the resemblance between the two of them. How had he been so blind to it? But he'd never thought he would meet the man. "Fight it off, force it back! I know you can do it!" He urged and Starrk mustered all his will and strength even as the demon moved.

" _You stupid bastard. I'll – argh!"_ Starrk struck just as his body moved forward and the demon gripped its head, fighting for control. _"No, you can't! Aizen…"_ But Aizen wasn't helping. Probably because he'd gotten what he needed from the demon. It was only something to be used, after all. _"Stop it you… I'll… devour…"_ Then Starrk managed to take control. It was fragile, but the spark of black and blue faded from his empty eye socket.

"Father?" He lurched in the air, suddenly feeling all his wounds. And there were many. The demon hadn't cared much about the state of its' vessel. "I… father? Are you really…?" He could hardly believe it, after all this time. The shinigami… no, Kyoraku Shunsui, that was his name… smiled at him.

"Yes Starrk." He said and Starrk came closer. Then Lilinette surprised him.

" _NOW!"_ And he was even more surprised as his own gun hit him in the jaw, with all of Shunsui's considerable force behind it. Starrk's head snapped back as the world went wavy around him. He vaguely felt himself falling out of the sky and heard the demon's roar of frustration in the back of his mind.

Then he hit hard and blacked out.

* * *

"Come on! We need to make sure he stays down!" Lilinette urged and Shunsui did not have to be told twice. He followed the fallen Espada and as he landed, the guns in his hands vanished and a little girl reappeared. "Yeah, see? He's got a hard head!" She said and they both saw Starrk struggling to push himself up. Then the little girl launched herself at the arrancar and landed right on the back of his head with both feet. His forehead was driven into the ground with a sickening crack and this time, he didn't stir. "There! He'll be good for a while."

"Uh… is he alive?" Shunsui asked, mildly alarmed. He was sure the other man was – Lilinette would be gone if he wasn't – but that was still worrisome. She nodded.

"Yeah, he's fine." She said before kneeling beside the fallen man. His hair was spread out, completely hiding his face. "All he needs is a little animation over his head. You know, a bunch of little birds going 'twee twee twee' like in that cartoon Gin showed me!" She said cheerfully and Shunsui blinked at the thought.

"Shunsui. That creature is your son?" Yama-jii. He turned to look at the old man with a rueful smile.

"Apparently. It was – " He started but then the little girl interrupted.

"OI! You've gotten rid of the demonic menace of doom, great job! But you broke your sword and you look like you've gone through a wood chipper! What're you gonna do about the non-demonic menace of doom, ai?" She asked and they both looked up at a completely untouched Aizen. He seemed amused by the goings on. Shunsui grit his teeth and reached for his swords, then yelped as he was kicked. "NO! You're not getting killed before you can even know him! And you're just a fucking mess! I couldn't heal you much you know!"

"She is right. Stay here, Kyoraku." Yamamoto said sternly and he had to accept that command, particularly when the leg Lilinette had kicked almost gave out. Taking a seat beside the fallen man, he watched as Yamamoto tried to make do with what he had left. Reaching over, he gently moved back a bit of that brown hair. It was silky smooth, he noticed. The face beneath was badly bruised but still very calm in repose. Looking at the man, Shunsui could easily see the resemblance. They were very much the same.

"…How are you gonna win against him?" Lilinette said after a moment and he looked at her. The small feral child was gazing into the sky, her single eye very worried. He sighed, looking down.

"I don't know." They would have to trust in Kurosaki Ichigo to pull off a miracle, like he had so many times before. Shunsui doubted the weakened Soul Society forces were going to be enough. But the zanpakuto was right. He was so badly drained that he would be no help in the battlefield.

All he could do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, this has been quite a day." Shunsui mused as he looked over the healing pavilion. He and all the other taichou were being seen to, as well as the few arrancar survivors. Starrk was in the middle of being restrained, which was only necessary if he was to be allowed to live.

"Nice hairpins, Kyoraku." The little girl zanpakuto commented and he blinked, looking down at her. The eyes that looked up at him were far too old for that youthful face. "Tell me, how much of a bigwig are you in the clan and how bad are they going to freak when you drag Starrk home?"

"Ah…" That was an interesting question. "I'm the clan heir." He admitted before cocking his head at the zanpakuto spirit. "You seem to know a bit about our ways." He probed. The little girl rolled her single eye.

"That's because I'm older than dirt. I've been around the block a lot, ya know." She gazed over at Starrk contemplatively. Bright red strips, inscribed with kido, were being wound around his chest. "Not bad. That won't hurt him but it'll keep things under control… yeah. I'd say I get called out once every couple thousand years, roughly. Most shinigami can't hack my power."

"Oh?" He asked as she paused. She glanced up at him, her eye old and weary.

"Yeah, and don't think I don't know what you're doing, Mr. Information Sponge." She said and he couldn't help but smile. She was adorable. Glancing over at Juushiro, he hoped his friend recovered soon. He would love this spirit. "Fortunately for you there's no point in hiding shit. You already know the really, really BAD part."

"The demon." He said quietly and she nodded.

"Yeah, that thing's bad. I tried to teach Starrk kido, you know. I sort of hoped maybe he could seal it away himself. Then I realized that was impossible." She said with a small grimace. "Like trying to wrap yourself up in burlap sacks and somehow makin' them stick. No way, you need someone else to hold the ropes." She said and he nodded slowly. "And I can't. Zanpakuto just can't use kido like that."

"Yes, I know." The thought was a bit insane. And he could see the incredible difficulty of trying to seal yourself. Even the seals they used for combat practice had to be done by someone else. "But you were saying something about your power?" He asked and she sniffed at him.

"I wasn't. But if you gotta know, I'm just a strong zanpakuto. That some kind of surprise?" She asked and he shook his head.

"Not really." She didn't have to go on any further. Shunsui knew precisely what she meant. The innate power of a person's soul called out to a spirit that matched. A bankai like, oh, Soi Fon's was much easier to control than a zanpakuto like Ryujin Jakka. His own bankai was even worse, in its own way.

"Yeah, not many souls can handle me. Just too much power to channel. I'm not tricky though, not like your bitches." She said and he blinked at her. "I know them from way back. Not many souls call out to them either, but that's because they're weird. You must be weird too."

"Thank you! You're such an adorable child." He said with a smile and a laugh, gently ruffling her hair. She slapped his hand away with a scowl. Then she suddenly grinned. It was an impressively evil expression.

"You think I'm adorable? Shit, you should have seen Starrk when he first called me out! He was only like two years old and crying his l'il heart out." She told him and Shunsui swallowed at that vision. "Totally naked!" …Well, he hadn't pictured that. "He had a super cute l'il baby butt."

"Lilinette, why are you telling him about my baby butt?" That hoarse voice caught their attention and they saw Starrk lifting his head. He was back in his sealed state so two eyes, full of pain and inexpressibly weary, looked out at him. "Please tell me these people aren't killing me." The arrancar wiggled slightly and Lilinette darted over.

"OI! Don't move! They're sealing your power." She said sharply and Starrk stopped, a resigned expression crossing his face. "Completely. It might dematerialize me but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"Wait, what?!" The arrancar tried to squirm more intently, his eyes widening with panic. Shunsui held up a hand for the kido binders to stop and leaned over the man, smiling.

"I'll be here. And this has to be done. You must know that." He said soothingly and some of the wildness left the younger man's eyes. Then Lilinette spoke.

"Yeah! We've got no Aizen, no hogyoku to keep you fixed up! Don't worry, I'll be in your head and driving you crazy." She said with unholy enthusiasm and that relaxed the arrancar completely. "Besides, remember what Gin said? That having your zanpakuto outside all the time is like leaving your pecker out?" That made Shunsui choke with laughter and the arrancar smiled slightly.

"Mmm, I suppose." Starrk dropped his head back as the chanting continued, the red ties winding up his body. "What happened to Aizen?"

"That weird kid with the orange hair fucked him up and the shopkeeper guy sealed him. He's alive though." Lilinette reported and Starrk nodded, closing his eyes. "Do we care about that?"

"No. I promised him my loyalty as long as he kept that thing sealed in my soul. Calling it out like that… he can go to hell." Starrk said very clearly and Shunsui saw a few other shinigami look over. Then the red bands flared with powerful light before vanishing. Starrk grunted as more lights flared over his power centres, sealing away his energy. Lilinette vanished and to Shunsui's senses, Starrk became almost invisible. There was a sense of relaxation in the air as the kido binders began to test their work. "This feels very strange." Starrk said as he was allowed to sit up. "The bindings are… tight." He said, scratching at his neck as though he was itchy. Shunsui wouldn't be surprised if he was.

"They have to be, to contain what you hold." He said softly and the arrancar looked up at him, understanding and anguish flashing through his eyes for a moment.

"I know." He said and Shunsui offered him a hand. The other man took it and for a moment, he marveled at the warm skin. The son he had never known… it hardly seemed real. Yet, when he looked in Starrk's face he could see the resemblance. The arrancar truly did resemble him, as he'd looked when he was younger. Then he helped the other man to his feet, steadying him as he wobbled. "What will happen to me?" Starrk sounded lost. Shunsui smiled at him reassuringly.

"You'll likely face some kind of trial. But you will have the protection of the Kyoraku clan." As the clan heir, he could promise that. And a simple resonance test would verify that Starrk was one of their own. Then they would be obliged to help. The Espada seemed to think about it for a moment before shrugging helplessly.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. I can't go back… can only go forward…" He sounded as lost as he looked. Shunsui reached out to grip his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze. Starrk looked at him before smiling shyly. "So you are my father. Will you show me things?" He asked and there was a fragile hope in his voice. Shunsui couldn't help but feel sad for him.

"Ah, Starrk. I will show you everything." He promised. How much had the poor child seen, in the sands of Hueco Mundo? And how old was he? He couldn't be very old. "Come, this way." They were beginning to transport the wounded back to the Fourth. Starrk nodded, going with him willingly.

They would have a great deal of time together.

* * *

Starrk gazed up at a tree, examining it with wide eyes.

_It's a tree. Get over it._ Lilinette groused but he ignored her. After all…

"Lilinette, I've never seen a tree before." He knew what a tree was, of course. Lilinette had taught him the concept. He even knew what they looked like, after a fashion, from the crystal 'trees' of Hueco Mundo. But those were not real, not alive. This was a living thing and he reached out to rub his fingers over the trunk, feeling the smooth bark beneath his fingers. He reached up to touch a leaf. "It's soft." He murmured, catching the tiny green thing between his fingers. "Oh!" He drew his hand away, looking at the leaf in alarm. "I ripped it. Will that hurt it?" He didn't want to damage the tree.

_Like a paper cut. Come on Starrk, go do something useful with your life!_ She commanded and he lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Like what, exactly?" He couldn't fight. Well, unless he wanted to lose in a rather pathetic manner. He had no power to draw on, nothing but his body and skill. His hierro was completely gone, as well. "Not my citizenship lessons…" Or possibly etiquette. Lilinette and Shunsui both wanted him to learn those things but he was reluctant at best. Then he winced as Lilinette snarled at him.

_Dumbass! You're Kyoraku Starrk now, remember?_ She berated him and Starrk sighed, hunching his shoulders as he put his hands in his pockets. _You need to learn these things. He's taking you to meet his clan next week!_

"I know." Sighing to himself, Starrk went back inside. "Is it wrong that I wish my father was someone more ordinary?" He said as he picked up his quill, dipping it in the ink. "Like, oh, Ukitake taichou." He was a noble but a very minor one. If he were part of that family there would not be so many expectations.

_STARRK!_ He started violently at Lilinette's blistering tone. There was a small cough and his eyes went wide as he looked around and saw his father standing in the doorway.

"Oh." Now that was just rude. "I'm so sorry. I don't mean you, I just…" He wanted to sink through the floor, he was so ashamed. Shunsui gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"I know. I didn't like the obligations either, when I was a boy. And despite your years, you're quite young." He said and Starrk bit his lip. Since Shunsui knew when he'd been attacked, they could date Starrk quite accurately. And the time difference between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society was four to one. His mother had been impregnated a hundred and thirty years ago, so he was five hundred and twenty years old, roughly. It seemed like a long time – it was half his father's years – but it wasn't, really. He'd done nothing but sit and stare at sand. Fortunately, Lilynette had taught him his letters and numbers but still…

"That was still very rude." He said after a moment. "And I do care for you, very much." He was already becoming quite fond of his father. Shunsui's smile warmed a touch.

"I care for you too, Starrk. Would you like some help with that?" He asked and Starrk immediately consented. Soon they were working together and it did help, particularly when they moved on to etiquette. Although that was very difficult for him…

"All these fiddly details… I'm going to get this wrong." Starrk said with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. His sigh was echoed by his father's and Starrk looked up at him to see a sad, unhappy look on his face as he looked at the table.

_Mmm. Can I talk to him, Starrk?_ Starrk blinked at that request but nodded slightly. Taking a backseat, he allowed Lilynette to speak.

"Hey, Kyoraku." His head jerked up as he clearly heard the change in Starrk's voice. It was still the same tone, but the manner of speech was quite different. "I know what you're up to and you know what you're up to, but it's never gonna work. He's gonna offend your family, sure as shit." Shunsui winced and Starrk cringed internally. Offend? Were they truly that petty? Surely they understood that he was an uneducated half-hollow…

"I wouldn't quite say that. My grandmother is turning out to be fairly open minded and she's very prominent in the clan. She's been speaking to the more receptive, trying to explain the situation." He said after a moment. "But you are right. There are many who will be already holding his heritage against him." That was obvious and Starrk felt his head nod.

"And they won't let up on his manners. But you know what I think? Fuck them!" Lilynette said and Shunsui gave her a small, sad smile. "OI! Don't look at me like that. I'll take control of Starrk and blow their goddamned socks off!"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Shunsui asked, surprised. Starrk was equally taken aback but his zanpakuto was eager to explain.

"I've been a zanpakuto for someone higher up than you, and I came to him when he was just a kid." She informed him and he lifted his eyebrows. "Yeah, he was strong as hell. Anyway, I learned all those fussy manners you guys love. I didn't really want to, but centuries of that… and then when he had to take his dad's place, I got put on the wall. He still trained with me but I was so damned bored… so I learned all that bullshit." Starrk felt his body shrug. "You guys never change stuff so even though that was, I don't know, five millennia ago? It should still be the same. You can drill me or something, see if I've still got it."

"Mmm. I suppose that could work." Shunsui said with a frown. "But the way you speak…" Lilynette was lacking in respect. Starrk heard himself laugh.

"No worries! Starrk can do the talking and I'll be the one to use the right fork. Don't worry, we'll have this." She sounded confident. Starrk just hoped it was justified. "OI! Don't you go doubting me!" She berated him and Starrk sighed to himself. The way she could read his mind was a bit of a trial.

"I wasn't." His father said mildly, mistaking the comment as directed at himself. Lilynette didn't bother to correct him. "We probably should run a few tests, though." They began talking about the fine points of etiquette and Starrk tried to pay attention. It was so boring though. Really, he didn't like this sort of thing at all…

He almost dozed off inside his head, but that was a mistake.

"STARRK!" His own voice shocking him awake was… a shock. "Wake up and take your body back you lazy bastard!"

"I wasn't asleep!" He protested after gathering his wits. "I was just thinking!" Shunsui was chuckling softly, which made it worse.

_Hmph! Yeah, right. Go sell that bridge to someone who'll buy it._ Lilynette said abrasively as Starrk hastily took control. Shunsui, though, was giving them both a thoughtful look.

"You know, Lilynette, I would say the only clan truly higher than mine is the Royal one. Would you have been a zanpakuto to them?" He asked and Starrk blinked as Lilynette sighed in his head.

_Tell him he's totally right and it hardly matters. His zanpakuto has served the Royal clan too, over the years._ She said shortly and Starrk related the message. Shunsui lifted his eyebrows before cocking his head to one side, his eyes vague as he communed with his zanpakuto.

"Ah. Yes, it seems you're right. Fascinating… I would never have guessed." He said after a moment before shaking his head. "Well, that should help when I introduce you to the clan. So why don't we take a break?" Shunsui said cheerfully and Starrk smiled shyly.

"I would love to." He said and Shunsui smiled before standing. Starrk stood as well, wondering where they would go. Although everything was so new to him, it hardly mattered. Anywhere would be nice.

As it turned out, they didn't go anywhere spectacular. Just a street inside the Seireitei, a shopping mecca. Starrk got to see many interesting things… fine kimonos of silk, much like the one his father wore, but in more restrained colors. At Lilynette's urging, he put a blue and gold one over his shoulders in mimickery of Shunsui. Then he looked at Shunsui for approval and saw his father struggling not to laugh.

"Ah, Starrk! I think you should develop your own style before you try that." He said with a smile and Starrk blushed before nodding and putting back the silk. "These are the ones meant for men…" The colors there were far more subdued, mostly blacks, greys and browns. Often they had interesting patterns, though. And there were a few exceptions… Starrk admired a men's kimono of brilliant crimson with black embroidery.

"I'm going to have one of these soon?" He asked and Shunsui nodded. "I can't wait to see it." It was going to be dark green, so dark it was nearly black. Shunsui might have preferred simple black but the seamstress had thought the hint of green looked particularly good on him.

"Mmm, I hate dressing up." Shunsui said cheerfully and Starrk blinked. "You'll understand when you've done it a thousand times before."

"Ah…" Perhaps it did get old. "Where are we going next?" The kimonos were interesting but he wanted to see more.

The next place they visited was a food market. Starrk was wide eyed with wonder as he beheld the piles of vegetables, the things he'd never dreamed existed. He reached out to touch one, a dark globe, and blinked at the rubbery surface.

_It's an eggplant._ Lilynette said helpfully and Starrk nodded.

"Eggplant." He repeated, learning the word. Then Shunsui gently shood him along so another woman could reach the eggplants. Starrk smiled as they continued. There were so many strange things! He was seeing so much.

The market was very crowded, though. That made him uneasy and Starrk wondered if he would ever get used to having so many people, so close. His breath began to come faster as they got boxed into a small shop and he gripped his father's arm, trying to communicate his distress. Shunsui looked at him, startled, and frowned as he saw the look on his face.

"Close your eyes Starrk. Concentrate on your breathing. It's fine." He murmured, putting an arm around his shoulder. Starrk nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. He would be fine. He just had to stay calm. The comforting presence of Shunsui and the gentle cuddling of Lilynette in his mind both helped.

When he was calmer, Shunsui gently led him around the tea shop. Starrk was able to look at the beautiful little teapots, carefully painted and enameled. He was able to pick up one cup, feeling how thin and delicate the porcelain was. Before they left, Shunsui purchased them cups of tea. Starrk sampled the delicate green tea as they left the market. It tasted delicious and smelled like flowers.

"Ready to go home, Starrk?" Shunsui asked and he nodded with a smile.

"I've had a wonderful time, but it is very crowded." And the crowds were growing thicker as it became later. Starrk found it very difficult to take. Shunsui nodded, a bit of sadness crossing his face. Starrk knew why… they had discussed his life in Hueco Mundo and his father knew about his long isolation. Starrk reached out with his free hand, catching Shunsui's and giving him a comforting squeeze. "It's fine. I just have to get used to it." And he would. It would just take a bit of time. Shunsui nodded and they continued on their way home.

To Starrk, the Eighth Division truly was his home.


End file.
